New ballpark eats: From porky to healthy to ... um, differentDetroit Free PressFamished fans won't have to settle for the same old coneys, peanuts and pizza when Comerica Park's gates swing wide today. This year, they can feast on new creations like coney quesadillas, house-made pork rinds — and fried-jalapeño-topped deviled eggs on strips of bacon.
Deviled eggs and fried jalapeños? At a ballgame? With beer?

Government Relations Update: NAC and NATO to present FDA Menu Labeling Guide at CinemaConNAC On Wednesday, April 22, NAC and NATO will present: The How-To-Guide for Compliance With the FDA Menu Labeling Regulations. The session will take place from 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. at CinemaCon. This panel will feature Dr. Claudine Kavanaugh of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will discuss all aspects of the new regulations while providing real-world and practical solutions so that you may be able to comply effective Dec. 1.

Make it a Meal with Gehl'sGehl's ready-to-serve cheese sauces turn ordinary items into extraordinary dishes - simply, easily and affordably. Pour them on sandwiches, fries, side-dishes and even main course entrees to add the richer flavors people crave. Learn more

Memphis CCM class to feature tours and ballgameNACThe National Association of Concessionaires (NAC) has announced an exciting development in conjunction with its upcoming Concession Manager Certification (CCM). This class will be held on April 15-18 in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to the course, NAC Board member George Raub, IV, CCM of Delaware North Sportservice has graciously offered to host the class to a game and tour of AutoZone Park and show the recently completed renovations to the ballpark. Course instructor Larry Etter, CCM, Senior Vice President of Theatre Services with Malco Theatres and Director of Education for NAC, will also give the class a tour of a recently opened Malco Theatre.

No better time than now to register for the NAC ExpoNACThe Concession & Hospitality Expo will take place on July 21-24, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and the adjacent Duke Energy Convention Center. The National Association of Concessionaires will bring together the top food and beverage concession leaders in the recreation and hospitality industry at The Concession & Hospitality Expo.

Thank youNAC A special NAC thank you to John Irace of Packaging Concepts, Inc. for his recent donation to the NAC Educational Fund.

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Welcome new membersNACNAC is pleased to welcome new member: Steve Schoenberg
of Steve's Frozen Chillers, Inc.

Jackie Dermody
of TCB Manufacturing

Lisa Boyle
of Tooters Promotions

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How to Get Parents to Buy from Your Concession Stand [Gold Medal Products Co.]One of the best parts of concession foods is the interaction with kids. There’s nothing like seeing a child beam with excitement at cotton candy or give a big blue smile after slurping down a blue raspberry Sno-Kone®. But it’s not enough to just appeal to kids, because ultimately you must sell their parents first. Parents can be a complicated demographic, but there are certain factors that can help to influence their purchasing behavior.

More scientists doubt salt is as bad for you as the government saysThe Washington PostFor years, the federal government has advised Americans that they are eating too much salt, and that this excess contributes yearly to the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
But unknown to many shoppers urged to buy foods that are "low sodium" and "low salt," this longstanding warning has come under assault by scientists who say that typical American salt consumption is without risk.

Deep-fry it and they will comeBloombergWhen the Texas Rangers play their home opener on April 10, it won't be a new pitcher that gets people cheering in the stands. Instead, the Rangers' ballpark is advertising a different kind of MVP. It's called the S'mOreo — or was, until Nabisco asked the team not to invoke the Oreo name — and consists of a graham-cracker-crusted marshmallow squished between two cream-filled cookies. It's deep-fried in sweet batter, then served six to an order for $8.

Listeria fear spreads as Blue Bell closes Oklahoma ice cream plantReuters U.S. health officials have warned consumers against eating any products from a Blue Bell Creameries' Oklahoma ice cream plant, which has temporarily closed because of possible Listeriosis contamination.
The Texas grocery chain H-E-B, which is one of the largest retailers of Blue Bell ice cream, announced it was pulling all of the company's products from its shelves indefinitely in the wake of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention warning.

The best food in ballparks across AmericaYahooThe 2015 Major League Baseball season is shaping up to be as much about food as it is strikeouts, homeruns and the race to the pennant.
This year you'll find a greater mix of high-end, creative, decadent and off-the-wall culinary delights at America's ballparks that will hit homeruns with fans hoping for healthy, jonesing for junk food, or willing to take a swing from either side of the plate.

The 4 things you need to reach customers on FacebookEntrepreneurWhen it comes to Facebook, some people talk about metrics, such as the perfect time to post, the perfect length of a post, or the perfect way to post a link. But none of that matters as much as posting content that your audience cares about. Yes, there are strategies that work better on Facebook in terms of getting more visibility, but when you focus on providing good content consistently, your audience will make sure they go out of their way to find you.

Why candy companies should get on SnapchatCandy Industry Candy companies should be signing up for Snapchat because it is still relatively new — at least compared to social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. So, it's the perfect time to get the username you've always wanted, and it's the perfect time to get on the app and experiment without feeling like everyone in the world is watching.
Plus, you'll likely be among the first brands your users follow, giving you a chance to be more, shall we say, intimate with your fans.

The future for iconic brandsBranding Strategy InsiderFamiliarity is something every marketer craves for their brand. They want the marque they are responsible for to be known, asked for, a household name. But does icon status in and of itself guarantee anything anymore?

Instagram gains serious attention from marketers, advertisersBy Suzanne Mason In December, Instagram announced that the number of users on their platform cracked 300 million. Considered one of the fastest-growing social media platforms, Instagram has now surpassed the 288 million users of Twitter and has gained the attention of marketers as a serious competitor to help grow their business through visual marketing. With this increased attention, Instagram recently unveiled two new products — carousel ads and Layout to provide advertisers with more options.